Sidestream Filtration in Cooling Systems

953007 November 14, 1995

Sidestream filtration involves the passage of 1-10% of a cooling system's total recirculating water flow through some type of suspended solids removal equipment. he purpose is to reduce the concentration of suspended solids in the !ul" water to a suita!le level that will help prevent fouling pro!lems. #hether sidestream filtration will !enefit a customer's process depends on varia!les li"e$ ma"e-up water characteristics% system design% types of production processes% and potential for e&ternal sources of contamination 'air!orne% water-!orne% etc.(. he )*+ for sidestream filtration must !e determined !y loo"ing at capital and operating costs vs !enefits derived. +n cooling water processes sidestream. filtration may !e considered when$ 1. ,n e&isting cooling water system has e&perienced fouling pro!lems or there are changes ta"ing place in part of the system that indicate greater fouling potential. -. For new systems employing high efficiency equipment li"e enhanced heat transfer surfaces or high efficiency tower fill. .. Systems where it is impractical to physically clean tower !asins on a routine !asis. +ntroducing or effectively managing sidestream filtration in an account can provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate leadership. /ove a customer up the 0growth curve0 !y getting involved in a 0value added0 filtration pro1ect% and "eep the following service tips in mind$ Make-up water quality and airborne contaminants #hat are the ma"e-up water characteristics% or potential other sources of foulants2 Filters are especially effective if suspended solids% dust% insects% sand% air!orne outdoor contaminants or a customer's product have !een depositing in an e&isting cooling tower !asin. +f no more than + inch in one year% it ma"es more sense to vacuum out the !asin during a seasonal shutdown or during scheduled preventive maintenance. TIP: If a filter is installed, use the filtrate to sweep the tower basin for maximum effectiveness. Have the customer construct a manifold with nozzles around the

basin pointed toward the center where the solids will be pushed toward the pump suction. )eturn /anifold 3ump Supply

Design Features of the cooling system #hat are the design features of the system2 4elocities through condensers should !e greater than . fps to prevent sedimentation in low flow areas. u!e-side e&changers are usually designed with sufficient flow rates% !ut if flow is throttled for any reason% low flow might still !e a pro!lem. Shell-side e&changers are more li"ely to e&perience pro!lems. *ther situations where orifice si5e is restricted% such as water cooled pumps or small gauge tu!ing in heat e&changers might present opportunities for )*+. TIP: Any inspection showin deposits which do not analyze as scale or corrosion products should be viewed as potential startin points for a customer !AT focused on eliminatin the source. "ne #$uic% fix# is installation of a sidestream filter.

Installed vs operating costs #hat will !e the capital and operating e&pense of sidestream filtration equipment2 TIP: &alculate based on cost of water, manufacturers' installed cost and maintenance cost data, and ener y re$uirements. &an other mechanical chan es, such as blowdown from problem exchan ers, air rumblin , bac%( flushin alleviate the problem less expensively)

Microbial Fouling 6o not underestimate the potential for the filter itself to !e the !reeding ground for microorganisms. his !uildup of !ugs can !e a source for continuous inoculation% and ongoing pro!lems related to slime !uild-up.

TIP:

*hen surveyin , use your +io,ana e trainin - identify the filters and have them opened for inspection. I f you see evidence of microbial buildup .slime, foul smell, etc./ recommend a pro ram to clean them up. This will include cleanin fre$uency, how to clean .depends on the type of media/, and chan es in the operatin practices .bac%washin fre$uency, rate, etc./

Filter Media #hat is the media inside the filter2 /ost pressure units will contain gravel and coarse and fine sands. *ther types of filters may contain honeycom! filters made of plastics% fa!ric% or even paper and fa!ric mi&tures. TIP: 0valuate this media critically from the standpoint of potential for microbial buildup. &ould media particles ever enter the filtered water and contribute to deposit problems) 1ecommend appropriate bac%washin fre$uencies, and replacement schedules based upon your evaluation of this li%elihood. Periodic inspections with samples ta%en for comparison from one period to another will provide on( oin documentation of life(span of the media.

6epending on the cost of replacement% develop your own rule-of-thum! for media replacement at the specific site. +f the media is granular% it should !e replaced completely on a long term schedule 'such as every 7 years(% and it should !e topped off annually if any loss is occurring. +f more than 10% of the media volume is ever lost in one year% determine the root cause of this loss and eliminate it. 8sually this will !e too high of !ac"wash flow rates% or !ro"en internals. 6eep 'sand( !ed filters are claimed to have much longer run cycles% !ut !e aware that the longer they run without !ac"washing% the greater the li"elihood of dirt and micro!ial accumulation. Backwashing he !ac"wash pipe carries 7-9 times more water than the inlet pipe. For e&ample% if the design flow rate is 1:- to . gpm:ft-% the !ac"wash rate would !e 17 gpm:ft -. TIP: The bac%wash action should be sufficient to dislod e dirt and carry it out of the filter, but not so much that it causes sand to be carried out. 2urin a bac%wash, you should sample the water throu hout the cycle and watch for a lot of dirt to be removed in the be innin sta e and radual subsidin of the amount of dirt as the end of the cycle approaches. If the amount does not subside, then the bac%wash cycle is too short, and you should recommend increasin it. If the bac%wash rate is too reat, watch for sand articles to be present alon with the dirt, and recommend a lower rate.

he filter may !e operated either manually or with automatic valves and control equipment which can operate on loss-of-head or time-cycle type of system. 6o not assume the operating cycles and !ac"wash cycle and rate are right% 1ust !ecause they are 0designed in0 ' !y the manufacturer or original installer. /a"e your cycle recommendations !ased upon o!servation% analysis and past results and incorporate them into the 3rogram ,dministration /anual. Si ing a sidestream filter he proper selection of a filter design and proper si5ing% will !e critical to getting the performance needed for the particular application. he two norms we use are 10% of the recirculating cooling water flow rate and ;0% suspended solids removal unless circumstances dictate otherwise. <ere is an e&ample of si5ing and selecting a sidestream filter for a specific performance pro!lem$ 3our prospect is a chemical company manufacturin styrofoam sheets used for e cartons, disposable plates, etc. They run production 4 days a wee% for 5 x 6 hour shifts. In an effort to run thinner sheets with better uniformity and less waste- a water coolin system is bein desi ned to replace the existin air coolin method. 2ue to ti ht specifications on the extruder desi n, heat control on the e$uipment must be maintained within plus or minus 7o8. Impurities in the coolin water are causin spots on the surface of the styrofoam sheets causin product re9ection. 3ou analyze the water and find :. 4 ppm suspended solids in the water, you decide you need ;:< reduction to accomplish the customer's operatin oals. First si5e the system using$ 100 F= 1 x B 100 % Re duction Flow = Flow rate required in gpm through the sidestream filter > = >lowdown rate from cooling system in gpm 'in this case > equals 7 gpm.( 100 F= 1 x 5 100 90 = 45 gpm

he rest of the characteristics of the system are$ 3ressure ?0 psi

emperature 1;7 oF Solids @ 0.7 ppm )etention -7 micron From Cooling ower Filters o Cooling ower >asin /anifold 3roduct B&truder 3roduct )eturn #ater Showing your customer your a!ility to factor these considerations into the design and operation of sidestream filters will$ 1. 6emonstrate your technical competence. -. <elp you ta"e a position as the leader of a pro!lem solving process .. ,llow the customer to participate in the decision ma"ing process. ?. 3rove the need for chemical feed and the importance of good maintenance. /ain )ecirculation Flow <eater A Controls